The gift : the form and reason for exchange in archaic societies / Marcel Mauss ; with a foreword by Mary Douglas

By:

Mauss, Marcel, 1872-1950

Contributor(s):

Material type:

TextLanguage: English Original language: French Publication details: London : Routledge, 2002Description: xxiii, 199 p. ; 20 cmISBN:

041526748X (hbk.)
0415267498 (pbk.)
9780415267489 (hbk.)
9780415267496 (pbk.)

Uniform titles:

Essai sur le don. English

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

394 21

Contents:

Introduction; The exchange of gifts and the obligation to reciprocate (Polynesia); The extension of this system: Liberality; Honour, Money; Survivals of these principles in ancient systems of law and ancient economies; Conclusion

Summary: Mauss's most influential work is his Essay sur le don (1923�24; English translation: The Gift. Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies, 1954), a comparative essay on gift-giving and exchange in "primitive" societies. On the basis of empirical examples from a wide range of societies, Mauss describes the obligations attendent on gift-giving: the obligation to give gifts (by giving, one shows oneself as generous, and thus as deserving of respect), the obligation to receive them (by receiving the gift, one shows respect to the giver, and concommittantly proves one's own generocity), and the obligation to return the gift (thus demonstrating that one's honor is - at least - equivalent to that of the original giver). Gift-giving is thus steeped in morality, and by giving, receiving and returning gifts, a moral bond between the persons exchanging gifts. At the same time, Mauss emphasizes the competitive and strategic aspect of gift-giving: by giving more than one's competitors, one lays claim to greater respect than them, and gift-giving contests (such as the famous North-West Coast Native American potlatch), are thus common in the ethnographic record. In this work, Mauss thus lays the foundation for a theoretical understanding of the nature of social relations.

Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 5 )

Holdings
Cover image	Item type	Current library	Home library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Materials specified	Vol info	URL	Copy number	Status	Notes	Date due	Barcode	Item holds	Item hold queue priority	Course reserves
	Main	RTC Library Main opac		Main TEST		394 MAU					Available			30010976

Total holds: 0

"This translation originally published 1990 ..."--T.p. verso

Translated from the French

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

Mauss's most influential work is his Essay sur le don (1923�24; English translation: The Gift. Forms and functions of exchange in archaic societies, 1954), a comparative essay on gift-giving and exchange in "primitive" societies. On the basis of empirical examples from a wide range of societies, Mauss describes the obligations attendent on gift-giving: the obligation to give gifts (by giving, one shows oneself as generous, and thus as deserving of respect), the obligation to receive them (by receiving the gift, one shows respect to the giver, and concommittantly proves one's own generocity), and the obligation to return the gift (thus demonstrating that one's honor is - at least - equivalent to that of the original giver). Gift-giving is thus steeped in morality, and by giving, receiving and returning gifts, a moral bond between the persons exchanging gifts. At the same time, Mauss emphasizes the competitive and strategic aspect of gift-giving: by giving more than one's competitors, one lays claim to greater respect than them, and gift-giving contests (such as the famous North-West Coast Native American potlatch), are thus common in the ethnographic record. In this work, Mauss thus lays the foundation for a theoretical understanding of the nature of social relations.